Iran court dismisses official over prisoner deaths

An Iranian court has dismissed an official who was appointed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government and who has been implicated in the deaths of prisoners.

The official IRNA news agency said Monday that the country's administrative tribunal has nullified the appointment of Saeed Mortazavi as head of Iran's social security organization. The ruling followed a suit filed by a group of Iranian lawmakers.

The development is part of a complicated power struggle between Ahmadinejad and his conservative rivals in parliament.

In 2010, a parliamentary probe found Mortazavi, who was then chief Tehran prosecutor, responsible for the deaths by torture of at least three anti-government protesters who were in custody.